****HIGHLY RECOMMENDED**** Oftentimes, despite our best efforts and idealistic intentions, things fall apart. We let our fellow man down repeatedly by acts of ignorance or physical violence committed against one another. When the victim of that destruction is a member of the animal kingdom, some may feel that the offense is even greater. These defenseless and harmless creatures, many of which are on the ever-growing list of endangered species, face a brutal future as many of them are approaching total extinction. Whether threatened by the ravages of climate change (the recent bushfires in Australia that saw the astounding fatality rate of and impact upon countless koalas, kangaroos and wallabies is just one example) or by basic and all-consuming human greed, animals in the wilderness today are living -- and trying to survive -- in an alarmingly hostile world. The story of one such animal, an elephant named Mlima, is the basis for Lynn Nottage's multi-faceted and haunting play "Mlima's Tale," which is receiving its Midwest premiere in a beautiful production by Griffin Theatre Company at the Raven Theatre. 4 SPOTLIGHTS
